(CNN) -- A remarkably diverse issues portfolio in the week ahead, and if you prefer a neat theme to lump it all together, try this: Follow the leader -- or leaders if you want a week with international flavor.

President Obama discusses the economy and other topics with CNN's John King.

President Obama will explore the world, and many of its problems and crises, over the course of the week without traveling all that far. Two major international gatherings the United Nations General Assembly in New York and a G-20 economic summit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, will bring a host of international dignitaries to the United States.

But back to the world stage in a moment.

The president begins the week looking to bolster public confidence in the strength of the U.S. economy -- and in his handling of economic issues.

More confident is a good way to describe the president's mood when it comes to the overall economic outlook; extraordinarily cautious -- his choice of words when looking at the economy from the perspective the matters most of everyday Americans.

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"The jobs picture is not going to improve considerably, and it could even get a little bit worse, over the next couple of months," the president told us on "State of the Union." "And we're probably not going to start seeing enough job creation to deal with the rising population until some time next year."

Nonetheless, the administration believes signs are pointing in the right direction and Obama opens the workweek at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York, to make the case for his policies.

Other big economic indicators in the coming week:

• The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee meets Wednesday to decide whether to leave current interest rates in place.

• New homes sales data on Friday.

• Also Friday, the University of Michigan's closely watched consumer sentiment report.

There are scores of proposed amendments to the proposal put forward last week by Chairman Max Baucus, and both the substance and tone of these discussions will give us, to borrow a term from the economic lexicon, leading indicators of which direction this debate is heading.

Enough already, but the international agenda is both packed and important. Some -- emphasis on some -- highlights:

• Tuesday: Obama meets with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders separately and then jointly.

• Obama also meets Tuesday with Chinese President Hu Jintao, and speaks to the Clinton Global Initiative meeting.

• Wednesday: The president meets Japan's new prime minister, and addresses the U.N. General Assembly. Later, a sitdown with Russian President Medvedev -- their first face-to-face sine Mr. Obama's decision to scale back U.S. missile defense plans.

• Thursday: More meetings at the U.N., then Mr. Obama heads to Pittsburgh for the G-20 summit.

• Friday: two G-20 plenary sessions are on tap, with the focus on the global economy. Mr Obama plans to meet with reporters after the session, before heading back to Washington.